Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Published by
Sources
Recycling and composting:
City of Vancouver Greater Vancouver Regional District Recycling Council of BC city.vancouver.bc.ca gvrd.bc.ca rcbc.bc.ca
Table of Contents
Introduction
welcome to our humble little collection of info
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Saving Energy:
climatechange.bc.ca energy.ca.gov/education climatechangesolutions.com sierraclub.ca
Recycle
where and what to recycle
Reducing Garbage
composting, grasscycling, worm-composting
Cycling:
British Columbia Cycling Coalition Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition bccc.bc.ca vacc.bc.ca
Saving Energy
easy tips on energy efficiency
Organic Food:
cityfarmer.org veganstreet.com Farm folk/city folk goveg.com proorganics.com ffcf.bc.ca
Transportation
alternative modes, tips
Water
how to help keep our precious water clean
Food
things you should and shouldnt be putting in your body
Diapers:
mother-ease.com dy-dee.com www3.sympatico.ca/envirotots mothernurture.co.nz seattle2000.com/babydiaper/article.html
Paper
ways to reduce, reuse & how to buy consciously
Diapers
the hidden polluter & alternatives
Female Products:
pacificoast.net/manymoons eco-logique.com onewoman.com/redspot
Female Products
more hidden polluters & tips on alternatives
Water:
greenbuilder.com/sourcesbook waterrecycling.com
Sources
where we got all our information
Paper:
Dolphineblue.com
Consumerism:
Enough.enviroweb.org verdant.net
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Buy goods that have little or no packaging or make your point by packaging, presenting the excess to the manager of the shop. Try to buy more durable goods. Avoid advertised products and the feeling of being manipulated. Ethical consumption Today, large numbers of people recognize that consumption. national governments are less powerful than trans and multi-national corporations. The solution of this would be positive buying, where products are purchased because of their ethical soundness. Examples would include fairly traded goods (giving exploited producers a higher price for their goods) and ethical investment. Buy local If you need to buy a product, choose one made locally. local. That way you will support the local economy, prevent the environmental damage caused by transportation, and boycott large corporations that manufacture products using cheap labour in sweatshops with no proper regulations. Buy used products Buying used clothes, furniture and other used products. products is a way to boycott the trend-oriented lifestyle that promotes the idea that things need to be changed just because there are newer products. If it works, use it! Choices When buying something, start from the premise, What Choices. do I need? not, What do I want? The latter attitude is often expressed in the absurd concept of window-shopping. This entails putting yourself into the advertisers chosen territory. The indoor shopping mall represents nothing less than the commercialization of social interaction. Give smart presents Love is viewed in the market as a way to sell presents. more products, but you can combat that consumerist idea by giving corporation-free presents. Buy a professional massage for someone, or pay a class for them. Make cookies and brownies to give as presents and include the recipe. Write your own cards and make your own paper. Organize a picnic. Make a donation to a charitable organization in someone elses name as a present. Share quality time. Have a clothing exchange. Show your love by saving the earth.
Introduction
This little booklet is a guide for normal people, like me and you, to take action and responsibility about the environment and global climate change. We people usually tend to blame big companies, oil refineries and corporations for not doing anything about the destruction of our planet, but rarely take action ourselves or assume our own responsibility. We have the power to save the world. First we have to understand that we are severely threatening the ecological balance and destroying the environment with our western lifestyles; being the car drivers, beef eaters, soda drinkers and throwaway consumers that we are. Once we understand this, we have to switch our lifestyle to a more conscious and moderate one. Happy planet, happy you!!! Never be skeptical about the power of one. There is plenty that one person you- can do to save the world. And hopefully this little booklet will give you a good idea of how to start. BY Venus Soberanes (Climate works 2000-2001 Team)
Info@eya.ca 30
www.eya.ca 3
Recycle
Garbage and Recycling
Waste was responsible for 6 per cent of personal greenhouse gas emissions in 1990. The key to winning the war on waste is to reduce the rate at which we produce it.
20% of the worlds population consumes over 70% of its material resources, and owns over 80% of its wealth. This global elite is mainly concentrated in the Westernized, consumerist nations: the US. Canada, Western Europe, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Japan. The USA alone, with only 6% of the worlds population, consumes 30% of the worlds resources.
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The following organizations are working to improve the environment as it affects womens health and related issues: Greenpeace, chlorine-free paper campaign 1436 U Street NW, Washington, DC, USA 20009 (202-319-2444) Women and Environments Education and Development Foundation 736 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2R4 (416-516-2600) Womens Environmental Network 87 Worship Street, London, UK EC2A 2BE (0171-247-3327)
All municipalities in the region have multi-material curbside recycling programs. Most have curbside yard waste collection, and multi-family residential recycling programs.
Beauty Products
The good majority of beauty products that women (and men) put on their hair and skin everyday are tested on animals, made from animal products, contain small amounts of colouring and other chemicals, and/or are packaged in wasteful or unrecyclable containers. The alternatives are plenty! Buy consciously! There are thousands of environmentally aware beauty product suppliers out there. Check the Yellow Pages or do an internet search. Be wary of false claims of environmental concern! Go homemade! Making your own beauty products can be fun and rewarding. Check your local library or the internet for a million recipes. Heres a recipe for a facial cleanser to get you started DRY SKIN: Equal parts sugar, honey & veggie oil NORMAL SKIN: Equal parts sugar & honey OILY SKIN: Equal parts salt, honey, liquid soap/detergent. Instructions: 1. Open pores w/ a hot bath or hot cloth. 2. Use a warm, wet washcloth to gently rub the cleansing grains onto the skin. 3. Wait 5 to 10 minutes & rinse well.
Small quantities of the following materials are accepted free of charge at the Citys Recycling Depot: Dry Clean Newspaper, Newspaper Inserts TV Guides and Magazines Corrugated Cardboard, Boxboard, Paperboard Computer Paper White or Coloured Ledger Paper Bond, Kraft, Flyers Paper Egg Cartons Paper Grocery Bags Telephone Directories All Colours of Glass Bottles and Jars Metals Lead Acid Car Batteries Rigid Plastic Containers Identified by the SPI Codes 1,2,4,5 Soft plastic and hard plastic White Goods (e.g. stoves, fridges, dishwashers, etc.) - limit of three items per day In BC, all ready-to-drink beverage containers except milk, milk substitutes and meal replacements have a deposit on them. Return these beverage containers to your retailer or a depot to get your deposit back. For more information, call the recycling hotline.
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Batteries
North Americans use two million batteries a year, about eight batteries per person Most of the heavy metals (lead, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, copper, and mercury) in household waste come from batteries. These are toxic and can be harmful to humans and wildlife. Dont throw batteries in the trash. trash They need to be taken to a toxic waste disposal area. Buy rechargeable batteries instead. For disposal of your used batteries call the Department of Health, Safety and Environment 822-6306
Resources
BC Recycling Hotline (R-E-C-Y-C-L-E, 732-9253) Vancouver Transfer Station & Recycling Depot (323-7737) 377 W Kent, Vancouver. Also accepts car tires! Burnaby Recycling Depot (294-7210) 4800 Still Creek Ave, Bby. Open all the time! Greater Vancouver Regional District www.gvrd.bc.ca For recycling depots outside Vancouver Recycling Council of BC www.rcbc.bc.ca BC Materials Exchange / MEX (R-E-C-Y-C-L-E, 732-9253) One companys garbage is anothers gold! MEX encourages the transfer of reusable waste materials between users.
1-800-916-4444
E-mail: manymoons@pacificcoast.net Website: www.pacificcoast.net/~manymoons Eco Yarn 100% Organic Cotton Tampons E-mail: ecoyarnco@ozemail.com.au Website: www.byteserve.com.au/EcoYarn/ Organic Essentials (806) 428-3486
Questions? Call
Residential Waste Reduction Home Composting Business Recycling Construction Recycling School Education 436-6801 436-6803 436-6820 436-6818 436-6795
E-mail: natra@indra.com Website: www.indra.com/natracare/ Gladrags E-mail: info@gloadrags.com Website: PERLINK http://www.gladrags.com Pandora Pads 1-888-558-PADS E-mail: pandorapads@pandorapads.com Website: www.pandorapads.com 1-800-799-4523
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Female products
In North America, we throw away over 20 billion disposable menstrual pads and tampons annually - a considerably larger volume than baby disposable diapers! The production of disposable menstrual pads and tampons releases dioxins and other toxic chemicals into our rivers, lakes and oceans. Female products have a very expensive environmental cost because the paper fiber used to manufacture them comes from trees and is bleached with chlorine, and chemicals and plastic are also used in the manufacturing and packaging of these products. Using washable menstrual pads will make a diffeence to the amount of garbage and toxins going into our environment.
Reducing Garbage
Composting
Organic food and garden scraps account for one third of the waste stream of the average household. Composting is an essential component of any waste reduction effort because organic waste, when sent to the land fill, contribute to the build up of methane (a greenhouse gas) and toxic liquids during the decomposition process.
Home Composting
You can compost in your backyard, build a compost bin or purchase a backyard composter at half price from the City at the Vancouver South Transfer Station at 377 West Kent Avenue North with proof of residency in Vancouver (e.g. drivers license). Cost to the resident for these composters is $25.00 including taxes. The composters come with an instruction manual.
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Babys Health
With all the focus on environmental issues, babies often get overlooked in a discussion of cloth versus disposable diapers. There is serious concern about the toxic chemicals present in disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage and skin diseases, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposables, and trace quantities may exist in the diapers themselves. Have you ever noticed little beads of gel on your babys skin during a diaper change? This is a material called sodium polyacrylate. This very substance was banned from tampons in 1985 for its direct link to toxic shock syndrome. There are no studies as of yet on the long-term effects that this substance has on our babies!
Community Health
Finally, there is the threat of contamination from disposable diapers because of human sewage going into landfills. The disposal of human waste in residential garbage is technically prohibited. Parents using disposables are supposed to shake out any fecal matter into the toilet before disposing of it; but this is rarely done. Live viruses in the feces, such as polio can live in landfills for a long period. A communitys drinking water could potentially become contaminated if ever there was a leakage.
Grasscycling
Mow higher, mow more often and leave the clippings on the lawn. Raise your mower height to 3 inches. This allows the grass to develop deeper roots and crowds out weeds. Leaving the clippings makes lawns healthier and does not cause thatch. Try to mow late in the day so the clippings settle overnight. Use a sharp mower blade and mow when the grass is dry. Grass clippings can also be collected and spread on your weeded flowers and vegetables. Clippings make natural mulch, preventing moisture loss, adding important nutrients and providing natural weed control.
Cloth diapers are the healthiest and most environmentally friendly choice. 100% cotton are the best choice for health, absorbency and durability, and organic cotton is the best option for the environment. If you dont have the time to launder cloth diapers, there are services available that pick-up, wash and deliver clean diapers to your door. Look in your local phone book to contact diaper services.
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Diapers
Environmental Impact
In Canada and the US 20,000,000,000 disposable diapers are discarded into landfill sites each year. It is estimated that your baby will have had 6,000 diaper changes by the end of their diapering period. Each disposable diaper has a life of a few hours, and yet each one takes five hundred years to decompose! Every parent who buys disposable diapers for a baby creates about a ton of garbage. Using cloth diapers prevent disposable diapers from lingering in our landfills for the next five hundred years.
Potty Training
The average diapering period for babies in cloth diapers is 24-30 months while the average period for babies using disposables is 36-42 months. This is due to the fact that babies in cloth are aware of the uneasy feeling of being wet, and learn the cause and effect much quicker. Potty training is a crucial milestone, one that gives your child a sense of self. Earlier potty training means increased self-confidence, not to mention it is better for your budget and convenience. Studies have revealed that you will take ten months off of your babys diapering period by using cloth diapers.
Resources
Compost Hotline 736-2250 If you have questions about yard trimmings, composting or grasscycling call the Regional Compost Hotline and ask for the Lawn Care Made Easy booklet. Contact www.cityfarmer.org for compost problem solving, organic food gardening, grasscycling workshops and much more!
Diaper Rashes
Some diaper rashes are due to wet skin. Disposable diapers have been acknowledged to keep the skin dryer. However, diaper rash is caused by numerous factors ranging from food irritations to soaps used on the babys skin. The number one factor in preventing this is frequent diaper changes. Cloth diapers, by the nature of the product, are much friendlier to sensitive skin. They are more breathable, and it is easier to tell when they are wet, so you are apt to change your baby more frequently. Parents who use disposables have the tendency to leave the diapers on longer, because they feel dry. However, bacteria from the urine is still present in the babys diaper, and still comes into contact with the babys skin.
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Saving Energy
Research shows that the average Canadian home produces 6.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Wondering how to reduce the GHG emissions of your residence? Here are some ways to reduce emissions, make your home more comfortable and save money.
Turn it off!
Appliances and lights were responsible for 3 per cent of our personal greenhouse gas emissions in 1990. Electricity is made in many provinces using coal, fuel oil and natural gas. Even provinces that use water to generate electricity, like Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, use natural gas or coal to make electricity during peak-hour periods. Turn off lights, appliances, televisions and computer when theyre not needed. Seal all leaks around doors, windows and cracks where heat escapes and save up to 20 percent on your heating bill. Do the atmosphere a favour: do full loads of laundry, run the dishwasher when is full and run both in non-peak-hour periods such as early morning or late evening.
Recycle
If every American recycled their newspaper just one day a week, we would save about 36 million trees a year. You can save a tree for every four feet of paper you recycle. It takes half as much energy to make recycled newspaper as it takes to make fresh newsprint from trees. Recycle your old paper. See the recycling section of this book for information on what to recycle.
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Bleach
Paper traditionally has been bleached using chlorine. For many years, the industry used elemental chlorine to process and bleach paper. In recent years, the interaction of chlorine gas (Elemental Chlorine) and fiber from trees has been shown to produce toxic by-products such as dioxin. Many paper companies are now switching from chlorine gas to compounds of chlorine that lessen these toxins. Cotton and other tree free papers, bleached with compound chlorine, have never been shown to produce dioxin. However, the compound chlorine is harmful for the environment.
Chlorine-Free: Elemental Chlorine-Free papers made without using chlorine gas, but with a chlorine compound. Chlorine-Free: Process Chlorine-Free papers whose recycled or recovered content is not bleached, or, are bleached without chlorine chemistry. Any virgin fibres in this paper must be totally chlorine-free. Chlorine-Free: Totally Chlorine-Free This is paper made from fibres that are either unbleached or bleached using non-chlorine chemistry (Hydrogen Peroxide). Recycled papers cant be totally chlorine-free because the original paper was undoubtedly bleached with chlorine.
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Dont throw that old refrigerator away! Coolants used in refrigerators deplete the ozone layer and are very powerful greenhouse gases. Always ensure that the coolant in your refrigerator is captured for recycling and/or destruction. Its your responsibility. Even the new coolants that are replacing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are potent greenhouse gases. A better way to cool your home is to use ceiling fans
Paper
A Guide To Environmentally Responsible Paper
To make paper, plant fibres (cellulose) are added to large amounts of water and spread over a screen to evenly distribute the fibres. The water is removed to form a sheet of paper. Papermaking operates at an environmental cost. There are significant differences among papers when it comes to their individual impact on the environment. The following information will assist you in making conscious and informed selections
Plant trees around your house. Strategically planting trees so that evergreens act as wind breaks in winter and leafy trees provide shade in summer can reduce the energy needed to heat and cool your home. Trees also create habitat for birds and provide shade for children playing outside.
Save Water
Heating water takes a lot of energy Water heating was responsible for 7 per cent of personal greenhouse gas emissions in 1990.
Rent or buy an energy- efficient hot water heater. Solar water heaters can provide between 35 and 75 per cent of your hot water needs; solar water heaters also work well for swimming pools. Install low-flow showerheads, which use up to 60 percent less water than conventional showers. Fix leaky faucets immediately. At one drop per second, a single leaky washer wastes the equivalent of 16 hot baths every month.
Fibre: Virgin Fibre The vast majority of paper is made from virgin wood fibre from trees, which may come from privately managed forests, tree farms that have replaced natural ecosystems, and our national forests. Papers bearing the Crane name have never been made from trees. Cranes virgin fibres come from annually renewable farm crops such as kenaf and hemp. Fibre: Recycled Fibre post-consumer and/or recovered materials. Fibre: Post-Consumer Fibre materials that have been used by consumers and have been separated to be recycled. Recovered Fibre: materials that have been separated from the solid waste stream but have not been used by consumers. Tree free papers usually contain tree-free recovered fibres, most notably scraps from the manufacture of cotton T-shirts and blue jeans. Papers labeled as recycled should have post-consumer materials and should include the percentage of post-consumer content in its labeling. If a paper does not list this percentage, you cannot assume it is truly recycled, even if it uses the recycled symbol. Tree-Free Paper: made with fibres from sources other than trees. Most recycled papers are not tree-free, because their post-consumer fibres originally came from trees. Tree free papers can be made from agricultural fibres, textile scraps, crop residues or recycled post-consumer paper not originally from trees.
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Green Earth Organics E-mail: info@greenearthorganics.com Website: www.greenearthorganics.com Delivers to: Lower Mainland, beyond by special delivery
708-5969
Transportation
Passenger transportation is responsible for 18% of Canadas total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). It also represents 45% of the GHG emissions produced by the average Canadian family. Environment Canada estimates that each of the 18 million cars in Canada produces about four tonnes of airborne pollutants per year.
Ladybug Organics E-mail: bugus@ladybugorganics.com Website: www.ladybugorganics.com Delivers to: Langley, Surrey, Abbotsford
825-8621
The costs
Canadians are addicted to cars. In Canada, there is roughly one car for every two people! Cars impose significant economic costs on society. If you drive a car, you only see about 42% of the total costs of driving your car. Not including the hidden cost of air pollution, on average it costs $7800 per year to own and operate a car! (based on The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) data for a two year old car driven an average of 20,000 km) but the real cost to you and society is actually much more when costs such as road infrastructure and environmental damage are considered. How can you reduce your GHG emissions with regard to transportation? There are many options available, many of which will also save you money. Alternative modes of transportation and vehicle choice can also have significant implications for GHG emissions. Other actions that work to improve the efficiency of your car include decisions around driving behavior and vehicle maintenance. Finally, your choice of transportation fuels can help protect the climate.
291-4355, 857-7584
Organics Delivery BC Delivers to: Far and wide in the lower mainland.
1-877-671-2642
984-0330
522-1775
E-mail: stacy@rainboworganics.com Delivers to: Tri-City, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, White Rock, Cloverdale, Langley. Small Potatoes Urban Delivery E-mail: spud@small-potatoes.ca Website: www.spud.ca Delivers to: Far and wide in the Lower Mainland. Sqweez E-mail: sqweez@home.com Website: www.sqweez.com Delivers to: Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby. Urban Organics E-mail: info@urbanorganics.com Website: www.urbanorganics.com 255-2004 244-1722 215-7783
The best action you can take is not to use a car. Choose to walk, use public transportation, and if you need to use a car, avoid single occupancy vehicles and carpool with other people. Consider cycling. Cycling is fun. Cycling is healthy. Cycling is low impact exercise. Cycling is practical and cost effective. Cycling is good for the environment.
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Cycling is fun. People cycle for many reasons. Riding your bicycle
allows you to feel active and energetic, feel your fitness improving, and to enjoy the surroundings of the natural environment. Cycling provides independence, free from the constraints of motor vehicles. British Columbias climate also allows many of us to ride all year long.
Go vegetarian
Raising animals has serious environmental impacts. Cattle produces methane, a very powerful green house gas. Cattle also requires long extensions of pasture, and in many countries forests are being clearcut to grow pasture. Raising animals for food requires more water than all other uses of water combined, causes more water pollution than any other activity, and is responsible for soil erosion. Many environmental groups, including the National Audubon Society and the Union of Concerned Scientists, have recognized that one of the most important steps you can take to save the planet is to go vegetarian.
Cycling is good for the environment. Cycling produces no air pollution, greenhouse gases or noise. It also reduces traffic congestion, deterioration of road surfaces, and land requirements for roads and parking lots.
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Food
In the market for food
Groceries are Good, but No Bag is Better! Only about 700 paper bags can be made from one 15-year-old tree. A large grocery store can use that many bags before lunch. Plastic bags start out as either oil or natural gas. Oil and natural gas are non-renewable resources. Also, manufacturing these bags adds a lot of pollution to the environment. Once plastic and paper bags are used and go to landfills, they stay there for hundreds of years!
Information on biking, biking maps and routes, safety and regulations, dos and donts, tips in case of accidents and more: Bicycle People 736-8194 Cycling British Columbia 737-3034 Website: www.cycling.bc.ca British Columbia Cycling Coalition Website: www.bccc.bc.ca Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition Website: www.vacc.bc.ca Bike Map Websites: www.bikemap.com and www.bikeways.com Alternative transportation and planning with the City of Vancouver: Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) 822-510 W. Hastings 669-2860 (Fax: 669-2869) Low-cost bike repairs and advocacy groups:
Our Community Bikes (OCB) 879-2453 3283 Main St.
UBC Bike Kitchen 827-7333 (82-SPEED) AMS Bike Co-op 822-2453 (UBC-BIKE) email: bikecoop@interchange.ubc.ca Website: www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/bikecoop/
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Water
About 75 percent of the water we use in the home is used in the bathroom. (About five gallons to seven gallons with every flush!)
Fix leaky taps. A water tap dripping once every second wastes 720 liters per month - that is enough water for 16 baths! Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off the driveway - this will save hundreds of gallons of water each year. Do the dishes by hand. Install low-flow showerheads and flow reducer devices on taps. If you go away turn the water heater to the pilot setting. Run washing machines with full loads, and rinse with cold water. Use dishwasher only when fully loaded, and use energy saver cycle if available. Use water-based paints in stead of oils and enamels and recycle used paints. Dispose hazardous waste such as paint, oil, solvents, batteries, pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals at your local Hazardous Waste Depot.
Solvent and flammable liquid deposits: Go Green Depot and Recycling 7 East 7th Ave, Vancouver Paint & Product Care www.paintandproductcare.com East Van Bottle Depot 2605 Kaslo St. Vancouver Joes Bottle Depot 227 East 28th Ave. Vancouver Recycling Council of BC 732-9253
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